Ireland eliminated after defeat

Ireland provided highly-fancied Sri Lanka with a major scare before subsiding to a nine-run defeat in their World Twenty20 match at Lord's.

Having lost by 83 runs to New Zealand in the opening match of the Super Eights stage, Ireland were expected to slump to a similarly emphatic defeat against one of the favourites to win the tournament.

But instead Ireland gave Sri Lanka as many difficulties as any team in the competition has managed, by restricting them to a modest 144 for nine.

However Ireland then slipped to 135 for seven in reply after a 59-run opening stand.

It was an impressive effort from Ireland, the only remaining associate team in the tournament, who have exceeded expectations for a second successive global event following their success at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.